CN111555057A

CN111555057A - Connector assembly

Info

Publication number: CN111555057A
Application number: CN202010085704.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: P.K.S.库玛; U.艾美
Original assignee: Talian Italian Distribution Co; TE Connectivity India Pvt Ltd
Current assignee: Talian Italian Distribution Co; TE Connectivity India Pvt Ltd; TE Connectivity Italia Distribution SRL
Priority date: 2019-02-11
Filing date: 2020-02-11
Publication date: 2020-08-18
Also published as: US11121488B2; EP3694055A1; US20200259279A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a circuit carrier having a first surface and an opposite second surface. The assembly also includes at least one first subassembly removably attached to the first surface of the circuit carrier, and at least one second subassembly removably attached to the second surface of the circuit carrier, wherein the circuit carrier has at least one electrically conductive lead interconnecting the first and second subassemblies.

Description

Connector assembly

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an assembly for an electrical device that requires a compact and automated solution to transfer power from a power source. The assembly of the present disclosure includes a circuit carrier and first and second subassemblies, the second subassembly being connected to the first subassembly by electrically conductive leads on the circuit carrier.

Background

As the number of electric appliances increases, the use of small motors also increases. The motor is typically integrated into an appliance, such as a vacuum cleaner, a kitchen appliance, and any other power accessory used in a home or business.

The magnet wires are typically connected to terminals having insulation displacement slots, such as terminals from applicants' Mag-Mate electrical connectors. The terminal has two insulation displacement slots that pass through a hard outer varnish coating on the magnet wire, thereby providing a good electrical connection to the magnet wire. The Mag-Mate terminals may be connected to either the plug terminals, such as by leaf spring contacts, or, alternatively, the receptacle terminals, such as by integral tab contacts extending in opposite directions of the insulation displacement slots.

Quick disconnects have been used for over 70 years by many different industries. Today there are billions of these terminals in use. Their applications range from electrical appliances to automotive wiring harnesses, including high temperature designs, motors, and power controls. These terminals remain the standard for wiring electrical components because they do not transcend in meeting the basic mechanical and electrical requirements of many applications.

In the past, typical wire diameters have been required to be between 0.2 and 2.0mm in diameter as expressed in american wire gauge units AWG 32 and 12, while today's market has also required the use of thin wire (diameter below 0.18mm, AWG 33) and thick wire (diameter above 3.0 mm, AWG 9) connections. Thin wires are used to reduce cost and to meet more compact design requirements. Therefore, not only the wires, but also the connection system must have a small size to fit in an area where space is limited.

On the other hand, the demand for low voltage power supplies is growing in many different applications. Of course, a lower voltage requires a higher current to deliver the required power, and then a larger wire is required to carry the higher current. The growth of applications using low voltage power supplies is a steady, unavoidable trend: more automation, more cordless devices, more battery packs, more lighting-lists are increasing.

Another trend that continues to develop, regardless of wire size, is to focus on innovations to efficiently manage assembly costs while improving the quality and consistency of the connection process. Most importantly, the wire connections and terminations must be reliable. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) prefer to offer customers high quality products due to the high risk of field failures and the possibility of compromising reputation and customer relationship. High quality products and processes may reduce costs for OEMs.

Typical termination techniques are welding and soldering processes. These heat treatments, while effective, can be difficult to control. They also require high temperatures, which may damage the wires or components, and they require time-consuming mechanical or chemical processes to peel the magnet wires.

Today, in order to better meet different technical requirements, different connection technologies have to be studied, which will allow to reduce the risk of failures and will enable engineers to design reliable products with good performance.

To interconnect the magnetic terminals with the circuit carrier, various means for wire connection have been provided, such as a plug-in latch for directly receiving the wire, tabs for receptacle terminals, posts for winding the wire thereon, wire barrels, or solder tabs. This type of contact is excellent in performance and has many advantages. However, with these prior art terminals for connecting magnet wires to lead wires, it is difficult to efficiently connect magnet wires to wire harnesses and the like used in electrical appliances and other such devices. Therefore, as the industry becomes more complex, it is necessary to provide electrical contacts that further enhance the assembly process of the components and ease repair and replacement. In addition, as the complexity of electric appliances and the like increases, it is beneficial to connect the motor and the components in series by using a wire harness. However, due to the configuration of the electromagnetic wire terminals, the circuit carrier and the quick disconnect detachably fixed to the circuit carrier, the connection of the wire harness to the terminals becomes difficult.

Disclosure of Invention

It would therefore be advantageous to provide an assembly that allows for easy and efficient connection of the magnetic terminals and quick disconnects to the circuit carrier. In this way, the wiring harness can be easily disconnected and reconnected for easy repair or replacement of various components. Moreover, such an assembly also eliminates the need for solder connections, thereby providing a compact and automated solution for converting power.

Other technical advantages will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art upon review of the following figures and description.

In one general aspect, an assembly for electrical connection is provided that includes a circuit carrier having a first surface and an opposing second surface. The assembly also includes at least one first subassembly removably attached to the first surface of the circuit carrier, and at least one second subassembly removably attached to the second surface of the circuit carrier, wherein the circuit carrier has at least one electrically conductive lead interconnecting the first and second subassemblies.

In another exemplary embodiment of the assembly, the first subassembly and the second subassembly include at least one compliant pin.

In another exemplary embodiment of the assembly, the compliant pins engage the original area of each plated through hole on the circuit carrier when electrically connected thereto.

In another exemplary embodiment of the assembly, the second subassembly includes a cavity and a receptacle.

In another exemplary embodiment of the assembly, the flexpins of the second subassembly are arranged to protrude perpendicular to the socket.

In another exemplary embodiment of the assembly, the flexpin of the second subassembly is a multi-spring.

In another exemplary embodiment of the assembly, the compliant pins of the second assembly are connected perpendicularly to the conductive leads on the circuit carrier.

In another exemplary embodiment of the assembly, the compliant pin of the first sub-assembly is a movable pin.

In another exemplary embodiment of the assembly, the second subassembly is adapted to receive at least one conductor.

In another exemplary embodiment of the assembly, the socket is adapted to establish electrical contact by displacement of the insulator on the conductor.

In another exemplary embodiment of the assembly, the cavity comprises a plastic material.

In another exemplary embodiment of the assembly, the first subassembly is provided with fins adapted to connect with the mating contacts.

In another exemplary embodiment of the assembly, the first sub-assembly is provided with at least three flexpins.

In another exemplary embodiment of the assembly, the circuit carrier is a printed circuit board.

In another exemplary embodiment of this assembly, the second assembly is a flat, quick disconnect tab, such as that sold under the name "FASTON".

Other benefits and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent from the description and drawings. The various embodiments and features of the specification and drawings may achieve benefits and/or advantages individually, and need not all be provided to achieve one or more of such benefits and/or advantages.

The present invention is explained in detail below with reference to examples and the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to elements or components of the same, unitary, or similar construction and/or function.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, the items depicted in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Drawings

In the detailed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of an assembly in a separated state according to the present disclosure;

fig. 2 is a schematic view of an embodiment of an assembly according to fig. 1 in an attached state according to the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

It should be understood at the outset that although exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the figures and described below, the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or not. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the exemplary embodiments and techniques illustrated in the drawings and described below.

More specific embodiments of the present disclosure are described below. Note, however, that an overly detailed description may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of already known matters and repetitive descriptions of substantially the same components may be omitted. This is intended to avoid unnecessary redundancy as described below and to aid understanding by those skilled in the art. It should be noted that the figures and the following description are provided by the inventor so that one skilled in the art may fully understand the disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter recited in the claims. In the following description, the same or similar constituent elements are given the same reference numerals.

Next, an assembly according to the present disclosure is described with reference to fig. 1. The assembly 1 comprises a first sub-assembly 12 and a second sub-assembly 13, the first sub-assembly 12 and the second sub-assembly 13 being arranged to be detachably connected with the circuit carrier 11. The first subassembly 12 includes a plurality of quick disconnects having finned sections 12-2. Each quick disconnect includes a plurality of compliant pins 12-1. The pin 12-1 may be of various types, e.g., multi-spring, movable pin, eye of the needle.

Preferably, the first subassembly is a Faston PCB terminal. The second subassembly 13 includes a receptacle 13-1 and a cavity 13-2. The lumen 13-2 is adapted to receive a guidewire. The socket 13-1 includes a flexible pin 13-3 protruding perpendicularly to the socket 13-1. The flexible pin 13-3 may be of various types, for example, multi-spring, movable pin, eye of the needle. Preferably, the flexpin 13-3 is of the multi-spring type. And in the preferred embodiment, the receptacle 13-1 is an electromagnetic wire terminal. The wire with insulation is received in the cavity 13-2. The solenoid terminal 13-1 forces the selectively sharpened blade through the insulator, thereby avoiding the need to strip the insulated conductor by displacement prior to connecting the solenoid terminal 13-1 to the wire.

Next, details of the insulation displacement technique are described. Preferably, the receptacle 13-1 of the second subassembly is connected to the magnet wire terminals received in the cavity 13-2 by displacing the insulation on the wires. Insulation displacement wire termination methods are used in a variety of applications. This termination technique has been successfully used in many industries where large scale termination of multiple contacts is cost effective. Two terms, "Insulation Displacement Technology (IDT)" and "Insulation Displacement Connection (IDC)" exist in parallel and are identical. Both terms describe the principle of cooperation very accurately.

Regardless of the design of the conductive portion of the cable, the insulation layer of the cable is penetrated and/or moved in the mating direction by a needle or a stripped shoulder (e.g., V-shaped and/or U-shaped contact elements). While an electrical connection is established between the cable and the contact element. The relative movement between the contact element and the cable (also called the assembly process and necessary for making the electrical connection) will be achieved according to different types of connector designs: (a) by fixing the conductor, the contact element is relatively moved to the point where the conductor (b) passes the fixed contact element, inserting the conductor into the insulation displacement slot from above.

On the one hand, this can be achieved by the connector cover. On the other hand, it is possible to press the wires directly into the insulation displacement slot, so that in this case (during assembly) the function of the above-mentioned cover is replaced by a special mould in the manufacturing tool.

During the assembly process, the wire insulation is separated and the V/U-shaped side of the contact element is pressed against the conductor. Due to the high resilience of the insulation displacement slots, the conductors may deform slightly and/or the stranded interconnection locations may realign in their proper positions.

Thus, the two opposing contact areas form an insulation displacement slot. The contact area between the insulation displacement slot and the conductor has a gas-tight connection which prevents the penetration of corrosive gases into the electrical connection. In order to guarantee the gas density over the entire product life, the necessary contact pressure between the cutting gap and the conductor must always be above a minimum value. The result of the decrease in gas density is an increase in the transition resistance, which again leads to an increase in the temperature in the connector. Since this process will be established during constant electrical loading, a thermal overload of the connector is inevitably caused.

The first sub-assembly 12 is connected to the second sub-assembly 13 by electrical leads 14 on the circuit carrier. Each flex pin (12-1, 13-3) of the first and second subassemblies is connected to a home area of the circuit carrier.

Preferably, the circuit carrier is a printed circuit board. The flex pins are removably attached to the circuit carrier, providing a compact and automated solution for power transfer.

The first subassembly according to the present disclosure also includes a Faston tab 12. The Faston tab is a quick disconnect having a fin 12-2, which fin 12-2 can mate with a mating contact to establish an electrical connection. A metal terminal of the Faston connector type is crimped onto the metal conductor of the mating contact, with equal pressure, and is complementary in shape, so that it can be mated with the front one; the mating contacts produce continuity of current carrying when interfitted with the Faston tab 12.

Fig. 2 shows the connection of the first subassembly 12 and the second subassembly 13 to the circuit carrier contacts. The compliant pins 13-3 of the second subassembly are removably attached to the through-holes of the circuit carrier 11 perpendicular to the direction of the electrical leads 14 on the circuit carrier 11 to establish contact with the first subassembly 12. The flex pin is an electronic connector adapted to removably couple the first and second subassemblies.

Electronic connectors are commonly used in automotive electronics and telecommunications equipment. Fretting wear is one of the common causes of its premature failure due to the harsh application environment. Fretting can cause wear and corrosion, which can lead to a gradual loss of normal contact force and an increase in electrical contact resistance between the contact pairs. Movable pins, multi-springs and eyelets are preferably used to bring the first and

second subassemblies

12 and 13 into contact with the circuit carrier 11. Such compliant pins are less susceptible to micro-motion than conventional blade/socket compliant pins.

As can be understood from the above, in the present embodiment, since the flexible pin is detachably connected to the circuit carrier, the flexible pin is effective in an automated solution for power transmission.

The above description is illustrative of the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, in the above description about the embodiments, the present disclosure is applied to a telecommunication device. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The present disclosure may be applied to any suitable power source that transfers power to a coil. Embodiments of the present disclosure using flex pin variations may eliminate the welding process and provide a compact solution that may be automated. Such components require minimal intervention.

Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the systems, apparatus, and methods described herein without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, components of the system and apparatus may be integrated or separated. Moreover, the operations of the systems and apparatus disclosed herein may be performed by more, fewer, or other components, and the methods described may include more, fewer, or other steps. Additionally, the steps may be performed in any suitable order. As used in this document, "each" refers to each member of a set or each member of a subset of a set.

While the present disclosure has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the intent of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. The exemplary embodiments should be considered in descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is defined not by the above description of the invention but by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.

List of reference numerals

Claims

1. An assembly for electrical connection, the assembly comprising:

a circuit carrier having a first surface and an opposing second surface,

at least one first subassembly removably attached to the first surface of the circuit carrier, an

At least one second subassembly removably attached to the second surface of the circuit carrier,

wherein the circuit carrier has at least one electrically conductive lead interconnecting the first and second subassemblies.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second subassemblies comprise at least one compliant pin.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the compliant pins, when electrically connected thereto, engage an original area of each plated through hole on the circuit carrier.

4. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the second subassembly comprises a cavity and a socket.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the cavity comprises a plastic material.

6. Assembly according to one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the flexpins of the second subassembly are arranged to protrude perpendicular to the socket.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the flexpin of the second subassembly is Multispring.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the compliant pins of the second assembly are connected perpendicularly to conductive leads on the circuit carrier.

9. The assembly of any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the flexpin of the first sub-assembly is ACTIONPINTM.

10. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the second sub-assembly is adapted to receive at least one conductor.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the socket is adapted to establish electrical contact by displacement of an insulator on the conductor.

12. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first subassembly is provided with fins adapted to be connected with mating contacts.

13. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first subassembly is provided with at least two, preferably three flexpins.

14. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the circuit carrier is a printed circuit board.

15. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the second assembly is a flat, quick disconnect tab.